Poker Face
by tlubww
Summary: The night begins with strip poker...
1. Chapter 1

Not mine, etc.

Beckett stared him down from across the table, leaning back in her chair with her longs legs tucked under her. He stared right back, narrowing his eyes, a smile playing on his lips. If he were to be completely honest, as much as he loved her body - worshipped it really - his favorite was her eyes. Warm pools of brown when she was relaxed, flashing bright green when excited. Her eyes were green. She was bluffing

"I raise," he said, tossing some chip into the center of the table. She glanced down at her cards, an ace high, and wondered how he could have possibly known. Years interrogating suspects had given her a remarkable poker face. "Fold" she said, tossing her cards down on the table. She slowly stood up from her chair, legs unfolding beneath her. Her hands skimmed down her sides, pulling up slightly on the hem of her sweater. Castle's eyes widened almost imperceptibly and his mouth opened slightly. She smirked and dropped the hem, bent over, and in smooth motions pulled off her knee high boots. Castle huffed slightly, muttering "tease" under his breath before dealing another hand.

The game went on for almost a half hour. They knew each other so well that it was hard for either of them to gain an edge on the other - the chips remained almost even and they were in similar states of undress. She lost the next hand and removed her bra, leaving on her loose feathery t shirt, knowing what the sight of her barely covered breasts would do to him. He shifted uncomfortably. She was left in the shirt, and her underwear. In an effort to hide his arousal, Castle had opted to leave his pants on but was wearing nothing else.

Beckett saw her hand and smiled inwardly. King Ace suited. Castle looked at his, a pair of 2s, and her eyes were brown. He wanted out of the game, was ready to lose and get naked. He went all in. Beckett glanced over at him. His eyes were shining and he was looking at her with an overwhelming look of love and lust. She was ready to end this. "Fold," she said, standing up to strip off her underwear, throwing it across the table at him. She dealt the next hand and Castle didn't even look at his cards before he threw them down on the table, uttering a husky "fold" before stripping off his pants. She actually climbed over the table in her desperation to reach him, not wanting to waste the time it would take to walk around. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him in for a deep kiss. Castle broke it with his smile, pulling back slightly, whispering into her mouth, "I love this game…even when I lose I win," before pushing her back on the table and climbing up beside her.

Continue?


	2. Chapter 2

5 am and the morning sunlight began streaming through the South facing windows. In their..haste to make it to bed they had forgotten to close the shades. Kate groaned and buried her head under the pillow, yanking the comfort over her head and burrowing into Castle's chest. He reflexively wrapped his arms around her and she sighed contentedly before going back to sleep.

At 7 am she woke with a start and an "ouch!" as Castle threw his arm out in his sleep and slapped her in the shoulder. She had discovered since they had gotten together that she was a cuddler - but that was only while falling asleep. invariably they would drift apart in their sleep, Beckett curled into a tight ball on her side of the bed and Castle splayed out across the mattress. He was a fitful sleeper. In the morning they drew together again, bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. She sat up and rubbed her shoulder, scowling at her partner in all things. He was deep asleep, his normally coifed hair in disarray. Her annoyance faded to affection and she leaned over him, placing a gentle kiss by his ear.

She stood up and stretched, retrieving an old weathered t shirt from the floor and pulling it over her head. She quietly closed the shades and left the bedroom. kate let out a soft laugh as she looked out at the loft. The dining room table was at least 3 feet from its normal location. When Castle lay on top of her on the table, one arm cradling her head to protect it from the wooden table, the other supporting his weight, she had wrapped one long leg around the table leg in a failed attempt to stabilize them. The chairs on one side of the table were all toppled over, evidence of the tumble they had taken off the table surface, landing with shrieks of laughter and pain on the floor. They were bound to be bruised this morning.

Beckett righted the chairs and pushed the table back into place before moving to the living room. They had rested on the couch, fully sated, after they had finished together on the floor under the table. Crawling out from under it Castle had hit his head on the table, letting free a string of curses that left Kate doubled over with laughter. He had grabbed her ankle and pulled her out from under the table, flinging her naked body over his shoulder and throwing her on the couch where she collapsed into another fit of giggles. He silenced her with a hard and fast kiss before disappearing. "I'm sorry Castle! Come back!" She pleaded, half joking, half eager for the warmth of his body. He was back in seconds with the comforter from the linen closet, throwing it up i the air and watching it fall gently over her body before climbing under it beside her.

He nuzzled her neck and wrapped his arms around her, one hand on her stomach, the other resting lightly on her breast. She turned her head slightly to press a kiss to his cheek and grinned. They chatted idly about anything and everything and Castles hand slowly danced down her stomach, so slowly and with such patience that she didn't even notice the movement until his hand was between her legs, teasing her. She jerked abruptly against him when he hit the spot that only he had discovered, spun in his arms and kissed him eagerly as her hand reached down to find him ready for another round. "Marathon?" she whispered huskily into his mouth? "Race you to the finish line," he replied, eliciting a slap and a groan from her lips as she buried her shaking head in his shoulder. "That was terrible Castle." "Not one of my better lines, I'll admit" he responded before turning on his back and propping her on top of him.

This morning the cushions were everywhere, the blanket in a tangled mass on the floor. She put the couch back together, folded the blanket, and continued her cleaning. She straightened the bowls and vase on the hall table, knocked over when he had all but thrown her against it in his haste to get her to the bedroom. Shut the fridge, left open from his late night trip to retrieve the chocolate sauce and ice cubes.

Her favorite luxury? Castle had his coffee maker on a timer. By the time she made it to the kitchen there was a hot pot waiting for her. She took down two mugs, poured generously, and walked back into the bedroom. Castle was sitting up in bed looking around at the disarray - chocolate stained sheets, pillows thrown in every corner, broken lamp. He grinned at her.


	3. Chapter 3

She handed him the coffee and sat down on the bed. "You're up" he stated matter of factly. "You hit me" she replied, indicating her shoulder. He had the good sense to look sheepish and bent forward to kiss the area; she shuddered involuntarily when his tongue swept quickly up her neck, ending with a kiss at her jaw line. "Doesn't matter time for work," she said reluctantly leaving the bed. "A body?" he asked, always a touch too eager at the idea of a murder. "Paperwork." "mmmm OK, well I'll be right here if that changes," he said before placing the empty mug on the bedside table and sinking back under the covers. Kate rolled her eyes and good naturally threw a pillow at his head. He caught it and tucked it under his cheek, smirking at her as she head to the bathroom. He woke up when he heard the zipper on her boots, popping his head above the pile of comforters and frowning when he saw her fully dressed. She grinned at him and turned to leave calling a "have a good day" over her shoulder as she sailed out the door.

Kate had barely sat down at her desk, coffee in hand, when her phone beeped. She grinned when she saw it was from Castle and rolled her eyes when she read it: "how long did it take you to make the coffee? Tell the truth." She ignored him. Five minutes later it dinged again "I knew it. You need me around Beckett." "I'll make do til tonight," she replied before putting her phone in the drawer and settling in to finish the paper work. It was funny, when they had been partners at work only, more desperately in love than either of them knew but unwilling or unable to act upon it, she could hardly bear to apart from him. Any day he wasn't at work felt oddly empty. It was like that when they first got together too, their hands brushing together in the elevator, kisses stolen in her car, a not so subtle hand sneaking around her waist, they were together every possible second, wanting to fill the desperate need that had surprised them both.

She still loved working with him but there was something special about going home to him and talking about their days. In the past, when they had gone their separate ways at night, they needed all day to be together, to dance their dance. She was a better cop with him there, a happier person, but there was something she loved about talking over the case with him while tangled up together in bed or while cooking dinner. It didn't hurt that when she walked in the door at the end of the day he greeted her with such welcome and open love and affection that she fell in love with him all over again. Then again there was something she loved about having him with her at all times, too. Once Gates had found out and...well if not approved, certainly tolerated their relationship, Beckett no longer had to live in fear of his being ejected from the precinct and was more relaxed in his absence. He still worked more than half their cases with her but sometimes he did have to work on his paying job.

He still texted her throughout the day, asides, things he noticed on his way to the corner store, a quick question about something he was trying to figure out in his book. he missed being at work with her every day, but no longer felt the constant need to be with her to prove his love, to make sure no one got an edge on him. She had shown him many times over how much she loved him - never had he felt so secure in a relationship, knowing that he had won her heart. She, in turn, felt safe with him, knowing that none of her darkness would scare him away. Kate knew that she was his one and done - he had just gotten a little detoured on his way to her.

So she finished up her day and went to meet a group of her college friends for drinks. She had always been quick to laugh and friendly with them, hiding her troubles and fears from the outside world, acting freer than she ever thought she would be. Even so, they noticed a difference in her since she was with Castle. She laughed longer, told more jokes, her smiles always reached her eyes. They relived old days, talked about the most recent wedding, showed pictures of the newest children, joked about their daily trials and tribulations. She told them about Castle and they were aware of an almost tactile difference in how she talked about him than her other boyfriends - her voice was softer, her eyes warmer, so clearly in love with the man. It was almost - and her closest friend, Sarah, all but giggled when she realized it - like she was… bragging? So happy about her relationship that she freely wanted everyone to know it, ready for her friends to know how unbearably happy she was. As though they needed the words.

They had planned to go to dinner and were weighing the advantages of burgers versus a healthier option when she suggested they order in to her place..their place really. She called Castle and asked if he thought he could brave the onslaught of 5 slightly tipsy women gathering around his table. She wasn't surprised when he agreed. "I'll have the food waiting."


End file.
